Sun Set in Gula

[Silence Sky]

The beautiful sun set pictures posted by fellow Cers inspires me and always wanted to make my own Sunset Picture. Was given a chance while traveling to a fishing village in Perak, Malaysia.

I wanted to show the warm and beautiful color of the Sun Set.
I am putting up three similar pictures and would like to know which picture has the best color tone and Cropping.

Please help me to make good sunset pictures, your comments and critiques are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to adjust the color and composition as you wish.

Thank you.

Picture 1



Picture 2



Picture 3

[m3lv1nh0]

Personally I like the 3rd one. Is this taken with film or digital?

[weisiong87]

i like #2 with the wide angle view... the colors are also nicely done...caan share how u pp the colors ar?

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by m3lv1nh0 Personally I like the 3rd one. Is this taken with film or digital?

Hi m3lv1nh0:

Thank you very much for telling me your preference.
It is taken with an Olympus Digital.

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by weisiong87 i like #2 with the wide angle view... the colors are also nicely done...caan share how u pp the colors ar?

Hi Weisiong:

I am still exporing the skill to make good sunset pictures, thanks for indicating your preference.
I adjusted the color tone curve into "S" shape for Piture 2.
Picture 3 I adjusted the tone cuve + Hue.

[Silence Sky]

May the expert help to comment on the composition + color tone and cropping for the picture.

Thanks a million.

[cmeptb72]

I'm not an expert, don't mind my comments:
All 3 are generally ok except for pics 2 & 3 where the rocks at the bottom are a bit distracting.

Maybe it's better to increase the exposure by a third?

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by cmeptb72 I'm not an expert, don't mind my comments: All 3 are generally ok except for pics 2 & 3 where the rocks at the bottom are a bit distracting. Maybe it's better to increase the exposure by a third?

Thank you..

I will try to make picture 4 with increase exposure and crop away the logs.

[pyrique]

hey man all 3 are over photoshopped....
1. theres just way way too much saturation.
2. the shadows are too dark. no amount of photoshop is going to save the exposure.
3. crop proportionately
getting a good picture of a sunset isnt about photoshop. but more about the technique you use when youre shooting it. like
1. setting your white balance (most often to cloudy)
2. getting the exposure correct. if you want both the sky and the foreground adequately exposed you either use a gradient filter or bracket exposures and combine later in photoshop.
3. getting your composition right. e.g. rule of thirds, get sthing interesting in the foreground.

[night86mare]

tilt present in #1

the foreground in #2 and #3 are extra and distractions

more of an abstract than anything else, i can't say i like this, there is no real composition here, nor anything to comment on, which is in my book, a bad thing

i would think a wider picture, with a longer exposure - extend it with nd filter, small aperture, low iso settings, whatever, would be better, smoothen out the ripples which make the photo very messy if you intend this to be a landscape abstract

right now, is too tight, too in-your-face, doesn't work at all

[eikin]

instead of asking everyone else which is the best, why don't you tell everyone which one is best for you? making version 4, 5, 6 ... following everyone else's preferences without knowing what really works for you will lead you nowhere as it's your artistic responsibility to decide what your expression ought to be. so instead of going on to make your 4th version, before anymore discussions go on, why don't you tell everyone here which one works best for you and why?

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by pyrique hey man all 3 are over photoshopped.... 1. theres just way way too much saturation. 2. the shadows are too dark. no amount of photoshop is going to save the exposure. 3. crop proportionately getting a good picture of a sunset isnt about photoshop. but more about the technique you use when youre shooting it. like 1. setting your white balance (most often to cloudy) 2. getting the exposure correct. if you want both the sky and the foreground adequately exposed you either use a gradient filter or bracket exposures and combine later in photoshop. 3. getting your composition right. e.g. rule of thirds, get sthing interesting in the foreground.

Thanks alot for your advise.

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by night86mare tilt present in #1 the foreground in #2 and #3 are extra and distractions more of an abstract than anything else, i can't say i like this, there is no real composition here, nor anything to comment on, which is in my book, a bad thing i would think a wider picture, with a longer exposure - extend it with nd filter, small aperture, low iso settings, whatever, would be better, smoothen out the ripples which make the photo very messy if you intend this to be a landscape abstract right now, is too tight, too in-your-face, doesn't work at all

Yes, the tilt in picture 1 is very bad. Thanks for that pointer.

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by eikin instead of asking everyone else which is the best, why don't you tell everyone which one is best for you? making version 4, 5, 6 ... following everyone else's preferences without knowing what really works for you will lead you nowhere as it's your artistic responsibility to decide what your expression ought to be. so instead of going on to make your 4th version, before anymore discussions go on, why don't you tell everyone here which one works best for you and why?

Hi Eikin:

Frankly speaking, I find something is lacking in all the three pictures and hoping someone can point out to me what is not right.
The pitures seems ok at first look but at second look it come tatseless. That is why I come out with three pictures hoping the next picure will be better.
I personally like picture 3 for the color and sysmetric cropping. But still it lack something.

[foxtwo]

Originally Posted by Silence Sky Hi Eikin: Frankly speaking, I find something is lacking in all the three pictures and hoping someone can point out to me what is not right. The pitures seems ok at first look but at second look it come tatseless. That is why I come out with three pictures hoping the next picure will be better. I personally like picture 3 for the color and sysmetric cropping. But still it lack something.

What's not right is that there's no subject in any of the 3. Your river's a good leading line to the horizon but there's nothing to focus on. No foreground interest, no background interest and the huge swaths of black at the sides adds nothing.

Colours are spectacular (-ly photoshopped) but it doesn't make a picture. It's a bit strange to me you don't know what's wrong It's a nice sky picture but cries for some action, keep it in your archive and shoot something better next time.

[Silence Sky]

Originally Posted by foxtwo What's not right is that there's no subject in any of the 3. Your river's a good leading line to the horizon but there's nothing to focus on. No foreground interest, no background interest and the huge swaths of black at the sides adds nothing. Colours are spectacular (-ly photoshopped) but it doesn't make a picture. It's a bit strange to me you don't know what's wrong It's a nice sky picture but cries for some action, keep it in your archive and shoot something better next time.

I agree there is no subject in all the three pictures.
Thanks for the great pointer.